Turbine blade



Patented Dec. 9, 1941 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Robert C. Allen, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufactuflng Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a. corporation ot Delaware Application January 16, 1939, Serial No. 251,052

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to turbine blades and more particularly to the construction of blades for high pressure turbines.

The operation of elastic fluid turbines at increasingly higher pressures has resulted in frequent blade failures, particular reference being had to the failure of the impulse blading in superimposed or top turbines. These failures which occur after a relatively short period of turbine operation occasionally cause serious damage to other parts of the turbine and always necessitate extensive repairs and a considerable loss of time and money. Moreover, the new blades substituted for those which failed have also failed alter only a short period of operation and this tact has in some instances necessitated abomplete rebuilding of the blading in an at-. tempt to eliminate these failures. Numerous attempts have also been made to eliminate such failures by developing and using new and improved blade materials and new and improved blade holding and mounting structures, but these attempts have not been uniformly successful in solving the problem as the previously mentioned failures have occurred in turbines embodying the latest known features of construction and design.

Extensive research has resulted in the discovery that the failure of the moving blades in high pressure turbines, which has occurred after a relatively short period of operation and which generally results in a fracture of the blade adjacent its base or root, is in many instances caused by forced blade vibration rather than by defec tive materials and improperly designed mounting structures, and that the destructive vibration occurs during operation at normal or full speed due to the fact that under these conditions there is some looseness between the blade root and the spindle groove and as each blade passes through a fiuid admission zone or arc it receives an instantaneous load application or blow which causes a slight and rapidly repeated tilting of the blade root within the spindle groove.

7 Further investigation has established the fact that the looseness between the blade root and the spindle groove, which permits the blade to be tilted, is present during operation at normal or full speed irrespective of the fact that the blade root may be tight in the spindle groove when the spindle is at rest. This looseness is due to the fact that the blade and spindle materials have some elasticity and that when the spindle is rotating, centrifugal force produces an of the spindle groove. Moreover. additional looseness between the blade root and the spindle groove is caused by the slow detormation or creep of the blade and spindle materials which results from continuous operation at elevated temperatures.- The sudden application of load which causes a rapid tilting or vibration of"a loose blade is present in all partial admission elements and is especially noticeable with re spect to the impulse blading in high pressure turbines. In suchturbiiies, the fluid is admitted through circumferentialiy v spaced nozzles or groups of nozzles constituting spaced zones or arcs of fluid admission and therefore each blade receives an impact and is caused to tilt and to return to its original position with respect to the spindle groove, which movement constitutes a vibration, each time it passes into and out of an arc of fluid admission. Consequently. a turbine operating at 3600 R. P. M. and'having Onlya single nozzle group will cause each blade to vibrate 60 times a second.

The destructive blade vibration hereinabove mentioned is, in accordance with this invention. entirely eliminated irrespective of the turbine speed, the particular blade and spindle materials used and the mounting stmcture employed by the use of blades so constructed with reference to the interrelation between the efiective area, weight and shape of each blade, the effective pressure of the operating fluid, the spindle diameter and the turbine speed that the suddenapplication of load as produced by the operating fluid will not effect a tilting of the blades within the spindle grooves. This interrelation, termed the centrifugal stability factor, which is necessary to produce the desired result and which is best expressed as the ratio of the moment produced by the centrifugal force (acting in opposition to the moment produced by the working fluid) to the moment produced by the working fluid, should be equal to or greater than the quotient obtained by dividing the maximum blade deflection by the equilibrium or static blade deflection.

' Therefore, the primary object of this invention is to provide an in1proved and novel turbine blade construction which will entirely eliminate the previously described destructive vibration.

A further object is to provide an improwked and novel turbine blade in which the centrifugal stability factor is equal to orgreater than the quotient obtained by dividing the maximum blade deflection by the equilibrium or static blade elastic stretch 01 the blade root and of the walis deflection.

terrelation between the various factors determining the size. weight, and shape of a turbine blade in combination With other related features.

as more fully pointed out in the appended claims and in the detailed description, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevationai view partly in section, illustrating the coactive reiationship between two impulse blades mounted in aturbine spindle in a conventional manner.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 1III 01 Fig. 1 and illustrates the coactive relationship between the blade root and the spindle groove;

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively similar to Figs. 1 and 2 and illustrate on an enlarged scale the looseness produced by elastic stretch or creep; and

Fig. 5 shows an undamped spring supported system and comparative force defiection curves illustrating theactual'diflerence in the deflection produced by a rapid and by an instantaneous applicatin of load.

The invention, reference being had to FigS. 1 and 2, is illustrated in connection With a conventional type of impulse blade l comprisingan active or fluid engaging surface 2, a rearwardly extending projection 3 whichcoacts With the opposed surface of an adjacent blade to form there- With the usual passage 4 for'the operating fluid and a root ,or base portion having the retaining surfaces 6. The turbine spindle 8 contains' a circumferentiafly extending groove 9, the cross sectiona] configuration of which conforms With the shape of the blade root I5 as shown in Fig. 2. The blade root 5 is inserted in the groove 9 which, With the aid of the coacting surfaces of the adjacent blade as shown in Fig. 1; securely holds the blade l against radial and lateral movment.

The manner of inserting the blades in the spindle groove axis not shown as it forms no part of this invention and in this connection it shouldbe understood that the invention is applicable to blades generally, irrespective of the particular shape of the blade and its root portionand that only those blade features,which are deemed essentiai for a complete understanding of the invention, are illustrated and described. v

The dot and dash linecc desig"nates the radial line of action of the centrifugal force of a larged scale. Consequently, normal or full speed operation rentiers the coacting surfaces of adjacent blades and of the blade root 5 and the spindle groove 9 ineflective to prevent the blade from chattering or vibrating within the spindle groove 9 in the manner previously pointed out. In other words, elastic stretch or the efiect of creep produces suflicient looseness between adjacent blades and between the circumierentiafly coacting surfaces et the blades and spindle groove to permit the blades to be tilted in the spindle groove by a rapid or sudden application of the operating fluid.

With a continuous or uniform application of the steam driving force on the blade, the blade will be in equilibrium. The moment tending to tilt the blade in the clockwise direction about the point x is FsLs. With the turbine running at full speed and with a uniform application of the fluid driving force. the forces imposed on the blade t0 resist the moment set up by the fluid driving force may vary considerably, depending on the design proportions et the blade.

For example. tilting of the blade under the influence of the fluid driving force Fs may be prevented in part by the opposite moment set up by the centrifugai force Fc and in part by areaction of the ,coacting surfaces of adjacent blades and of the spindle groove 9. With a; uniformamflisingle blade which force is expressed in pounds A and is designated Fc. L designates the circum ferentiai dimension of the retaining surfaces'flof the blade root 5 at a radius R expressed in inches. K designates the proportion of the length of the retaining surfacesL from the point X at which the radial line of action cc of the centrifugal force Fc intersects the spindle cylinder of radius R which cylinder ontains the grooveretaining surfaces engaged by the surfaces 6 of the blade root 5. The line of action of the effective fluid force i s designated ss and the maximum fluid force exerted on the:blade in pounds is desisnated F3. La designates the distance of the centerl of pressure of the fluid driving force Fs from the retaining surfaces et the root 5 at point X.

r Rotation of the spindle 8 at its normal or full speed produces an elastic stretch of the blade and spindle'matefials as hereinbefore mentioned and changes the relationship between the coacting surfaces of adjacent blades and between the (:0- acting surfaces of the blade root 5. and the spindle groove 9 from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 representing static conditions to that shown in Figs. 3 and 4 representing dynamic conditions on an encation of the fluid driving force, this method of holding the blade would be satisfa.ctory. If, how ever, the blade is used in a partial admission wheel in which the driving force is applied and removed at least once per revoluton, the ec1ui-- librium must be established entirely by the effect of centrifugai force.

This is necessary as the eflect of elastic stretch and creep of the blade and spindle material produceS som'e looseness between iau'iiacct blades and betweenthe root members and the gro0ves which substantially eliminates the reSistance produced by the coacting surfaces. Consequently.

under these conditions, stabilitvis produced only when the centrifugai moment FcKl is greater than FsLs.

Partial admission of fluid to a turbine element subjects the bladeSto a rapidly repeated application of load as previously pointed out and since blade structures are designed to be rigidly held in the spindle groove, the only damping present-- is that of internal friction in the blade material or due to a slight sliding between contacting surfaces, which damping may be entirely n'eglected for practical design purposes. Therefore; the stress set up in a blade under partial admission conditions may be approximately determined by an analysis of an equivalent mechanical arrangement, an undamped spring supported system which isinstantaneously loaded by a weight W. Fig. 5 schematicaily illustrates such a system designated generaily by numerai Il) and characteristic curves of which curve i2 represents the instantaneously applied driving force or weight W, curve l3 the elastic resisting or spring force set up in the blade or spring by a given deflection, curve M the accelerating force which at any instant is equal to the diflerence between the weight or drivingiorce (curve I!) and the resisting force (curve l3), and "i the equilibriumor static deflection line. The termflequifibrum or static deflection, is herein considered to be the deflection produced by an application ofload. the weight W in the system illustrated in Fig. 5, or the force of the driving fluid in a turbine, which is so gradually applied that the system is not caused to oscillate, or stated differently, if

the application of the load does cause the system to oscillate, the, constant deflection maintained by the applied load after the oscillation of the system is terminated. The spring Il is under no tension in the position shown as the weight W is entirely supported by a readily releasable means l8.

The first increment of travel of the system produced by suddenly releasing the weight W which constitutes an instantaneous application of load, is dl, the accelerating force is W and the energy applied in accelerating the system is Wdl. In such a system, the diierence between Pl, the opposing spring force represented by curve I3, where P equals the scale of the spring in pounds per inch and Z the defiection in inches, and the applied weight or force W, represented by curve [2, which difierence, WPl, is represented by' curve M, and becomes less and less until at the equilibrium or static defiection position 11 (the actual defiection of the system produced by the gradual application of the weight W)- the accelerating force is zero and the work done in producing the deflection 11 is equal to the kinetic energy stored in the system. Stated in equation form, the kinetic energy Integrating between the limits and li establishes that and since W equals P11,

which in Fig. 4 is represented by that area lying above the static defiection line [6 and bounded by the zero force ordinate, the abscissa representing zero deflection and curve l4. The conversion of the stored energy represented by the above identified area into strain energy is in turn represented by that area lying beneath the static defiection line l6 and bounded by the zero force ordinate, the abscissa representing maximum deflection and curve I 4.

It is therefore obvious that the sudden application of a load will cause the system to overtravel due to the energy stored in the spring a distance equal to 11 in order to convert the kinetic enrgy into strain energy and that the defiection and the stress in the spring at the point of maximum extension 12 is twice the deflection and stress at the equilibrium or static deflection position Z1. Consequently an instantaneously applied load on a turbine blade will produce twice the stress and defiection (bending of a rigidly held blade) as would be produced if the same force were gradually applied, and having the knowledge that elastic stretch or creep produces suflicient looseness between the blade root and the coacting surfaces of the spindle groove t0 permit destructive chattering or vibration of the blade root within the spindle groove; it is"obvious that the centrifugal stabilizing moment FcKL should be equal to or greater than twice the steam bending moment FsLs. words, the centrifugal stability factor which is the ratio of the centrifugal stabilizing moment FcKL divided by the steam bendin'g moment FsLs should be equal to or greater than* the quotient obtained by dividing the maximum deflection Z2 by the equilibrium or static defiection 11.

In other The results obtained by the foregoing elementary analsis, although entirely satisfactory for practical design purposes are not entirely correct due to the fact that in actual practice the driving force is not instantaneously applied. For example, a modern hlgh pressure high temperature top tunbine, which operates at the conventional speed of 3600 R. P. M. employs approximately blades in the first impulse row and with properly designed nozzle and blade passages the driving force will start at zero as the blade moves into the fluid admission arc and will increase from zero to maximum value during the time interval required for the spindle to rotate an angular distance equal to the blade pitch at the mean diameter. It is therefore obvious that the load on each blade will increase from zero to the maximum value in of a second divided by 100 or ,6 of a second. The relatively short time interval required for the load to reach its.

maximum value will slightly modify the minimum value for the centrifugal stability factor obtained by the aforementioned analysis. Consequently, if the actual value of the centrifugal stability factor is desired for design purposes, it will be necessary to include the time element in the calculations.

The quantity of fluid fiowing through a blade passage increases in direct proportion to the linear travel of the blade, and it is theraf0re obvious that at a uniform rate of speed the fluid drivng force will increase from zero to its maximum value directly as the time. The rate of increase expressed as a derivative,

dFs

is constant where t represents time, 1. e.,

dl s a dy is constant where y' equals the deflection, i. e.,

At any time t, after a given blade starts to enter the active are of admission the driving force will increase to some partial value, which may be expressed as and the blade will have defiected a proportional amount thereby, establishing a proportional elastic resisting force equal to r g (dFb) u Acceleration,

where I represents the force and M the mas:

the acceleration at the end of time t can be expressed as However, acceleration is also equal to i dl" and by equating these two expressions for acceleration at the end of time t the following differential equatin is obtained:

.LQ.E:

, dt M M 3 The procedure for solving this flrst order, nonhomogeneous linear diflerenflal equation. is given on pages 210-211 of the book, Manual of Math+ ematics and Mechanics, by Clements and Wilson, publishedin 1937 by the McGraw-Hfll Bock Compsmy, and its general solution,

y= C; sin (%)t+( ces (-fi)t+fmakes possible the calculation ci the actual forces imposed on the blade in any given problem in which it is desired to take into account the time required for unloaded blades to attain their maximum load.

A practical construction for a turbine in which the driving force at one-quarter load reaches its maximum value of 81 pounds in o of a second is a blade having a mean length of 2.344 inches and a weight of 0.236 pound. Assuming that the modulus of elasticity of the blade material used is 29,000,000 pounds per square inch and solving the previously derived equation, it is found that the static orequflibflum deflection of the blade, wlich is represented by line n cf Fig. 5, is 0.000457 incb. The equaticn can now be solved to determine the actual deflection of the blade at any instant and the corresponding driving force or blade load, and with,this data, curve la of Fig. 5, representing the rapidly applied driving force which increases from zero to the maximum value of 81 pounds in of a second, can be readily plotted.. Curve cf Fig.y5, which represents the accelerating force produced at any infor bendlng the blade beyond. the static deflecstant by the rapidiy applied driving force is obtained by subtracflng curve Il from curve Is. It should be noted that. in the analysis of the i1hdamped spring supported syst em schemati cally illustrated in Fig. 5, the instantaneoualy applied load W'is equal to the maximum driving force, and the spring scaie is a function of the modulus of elasticity of the biade material and the dimensions of the blade, and that therefore curves I2, I: and Il and line 18 of Fig. 5 cor-- rectly represent the eifect of an 'instantaneous application of a driving force of 8Lpounds to the turbine blade in question when rigidiy held in the turbine spindle.

The area lying above the static deflection line I0, which area is bounded by the zero force ordinate and curve 1l, represents to some scale, as previously explained in connection with the analysis ci an undamped sprins supported sstem, u

tien point. The converflon of this stored enerzy into strain energy in represented by an area lying beneath.tbe equflibflum or static deflection line and bounded by the zero force ordinate. and curve Il. which area is equal to the area lyinz above the static deflecticn line and bounded by the zero force ordinate and curve 20. The abacissa which also bounds this area determines the maximum deflection produced by a rapidly applied load-, which in the selected example, 1: 0.000779 inch. A comparison of the maximum deflections 12 and 13 obtained by the previously described 'analysis establishes that where the driving force la rapid1y applied, i.;e., from zero to the maximum value in of a second, the blade will overtravel the equflibflum deflection point by 69.9%. Therefore, the application of the complete analysls to the particular problem under consideration results in reducin the value of the centrifugal stabflity factor from 2 to 1.7 which amounts .to an actual reduction of only 15%. The previously described complete analysis is applicable in all cases and willalways affect a slight reduction in the value of the centrifugal stability factor as determined by an analysis based on an assumption that the driving force 15 instantaneously applied.

The features of 'primary importance are the facts thatdvnamic equilibrlum is realized only when the centrifugal stability factor FcKL . FsLs is equal to the quotient obtained by dividing the maximum blade deflection by the static blade deflecticn, and that in order to obtain dynamic stability the centrifugal stability factor must be greater than said quotient, i. e.', r

FcKL FsLa is greater than the centrifugal stabilizing moment FcKL wi1i always maintain the retaining surfaces 6 of the bladeroot 5 tightly .engaged with the cooperating surfaces of the spindle groove 9. Stated differentiy, a turbine embodying the invention includes blades having physical characterstics,

namely, the size, weight and shape of the blade,

so correlated with respect to the turbine speed and with respect to the pressure of the driving fluid that during normal operation. the centrifugal momentacting on a blade in opposition to the bending moment produced by the action of the drivinz fluidis always operable irrespecfecting a tilting movement of the blade.

The invention is obviously applicable to all types and forms of turbine blading and turbine blading holding and mounting means, and althou3h it is of particular importance in connection with the construction of high pressure impulse blading, it should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular features of construction herein shown and described, as vafious modifications with;n the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: V

l. A turbine comprising a rotor, driving fluid admission means adapted to subject blades car: ried by said rotor to sudden repeated applications of impact. and blades secured to said rotor by means including coacting rotor and blade parts providing retaining surfaces some of which limit the outward radial movement of the blades with respect to the rotor in the event there is some degree of looseriess between said coacting parts wherein said blades have physical characteristics comprising size, weig t and shape se correlated with respect to the t ine speed and with respect to the pressure of the driving fluid that durlng normal operation centrifugal force acts on a blade t retain said limitlng surfaces in abutting relation and pioduces a moment which acts in opposition to the moment produced by the impact action of the drivinz fluid on the working face of the blade and which is of suflicient magnitude to hold said limiting surfaces in abutting relation with suflicient force to prevent said fluid produced moment tram tilting said blade relative to said rotor.

2. A partial admission turbine comprising a rotor and blades secured to said rotor by means including coacting rotor and blade parts ahaped to provide abutting retaining surfaces some of which limit the outward radial movement of the blades with respect to said rotor in the event there is some degree of looseness between said coacting parts wherein said blades have physical characterlstics comprising size, weight and shape se correlated with respect to the turbine speed and with respect to the pressure of the driving fluid tbat during normal operation centrifugal force actinz on a blade produces a moment which acts in opposition to the moment produced by the driving fluid eifecting a sudden application et impact to the working face of the blade and which la 01! sufiicient magnitude to be operative irrespecfln of the degree of looseness between said coacting vp tS to hold. said limiting surfaces in abuttinx relation with suflicient force to prevent said fluid produced moment from tilting said blade relative to said rotor.

3. A turbine comprising a rotor, drivinz fluid admission means adapted to subject blades carried by said rotor to sudden repeated applications of impact, and blades rigidly secured to said rotor by means including coacting rotor amibiade v parts between which looseness may develop due to elastic stretch and creep ofthe rotor and blade materials wherein said blades have physical characteristics comprising size, weight and shape so correlated with respect to the turbine speed and with respect to the pressure of the driving fluid v that during normal operation centrifuzal force acts on a blade to maintain those of said coacting parts which limit the outward radial movement of the blade firmlv engaged and produces a moment which acts in opposition to the moment produced by the impact action of the drivim; fluid on the working face of the blade and which is of su!- flcient magnitude to be operative irrespecflve of the degree of looseness between said eoaetinz parts to hold said radial movement limiting parts firmly engaged with suflicient force to prevent said fluid produced moment from tiltinz said blade relative to said rotor.

4. Apartial admission turbine comprlsinz a rotor and blades having r0ot portions secured to said rotor by means including coacting rotor and blade root parts shaped to provide abutting retaining surfaces some of which limit the outward radial movement of the blades with respect to the rotor in the event there is some dezree cf looseness between said coacting parts wherein said blades have physical characteristics eompflsing size, weight and shape so correlated with respect to the turbine speed and with respect to the pressure et the driving fluid that during normal operation the centrifugal stabilizing moment acting on a blade to maintain said limi surfaces in abutting relation is equal to or srea than the product of the maximum and oppodtely acting moment to which the blade is subjected by the driving fluid effecting a sudden application of impact to the working face of the blade and the quotient obtained by dividing the maximum blade deflection produced by the driving fluid effecting a sudden application of impact to the working face of a blade having its root portion rigidly secured to said rotor, by the equilibrlum or static blade deflecfion produced by a continuous application of the driving fluid to the working face of said flaflfly secured blade.

ROBERT C. ALLER. 

